O baby blues It's a set of feelings that practically every woman who has a child will know. It is multifactorial and causes symptoms that can initially be confused with depression – such as constant crying, sadness, excess sensitivity, irritability and anxiety. But these feelings are transient and insufficient to cause harm to the woman, as they usually appear shortly after childbirth and tend to disappear spontaneously within 21 days.
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“We say that the baby blues is a time for women to adapt to the new reality. From this perspective, we have to consider the sudden hormonal changes that occur at the end of pregnancy and can generate some affective-emotional conflict. The baby blues manifests itself in many ways and usually comes with sleep deprivation, physical exhaustion, difficulty breastfeeding, fear, guilt, insecurity and lack of control. But it is a completely temporary phenomenon and recovery, in most cases, is complete and without the need for pharmacological treatment”, explained psychologist Damiana Angrimani, specialist in perinatal and parental psychology.
According to the psychologist, the baby blues make women experience emotional peaks that alternate between despair (like thinking they are incapable of taking care of a child, for example) and enchantment with the baby. Furthermore, she explains, it can still have the impact of social maternal pressure, in which many women experience the taboo of perfect motherhood.
“Society imposes that the mother of a baby cannot feel sad, cannot cry, cannot be upset, after all, she is now the mother of a child. All of this becomes very confusing because the new routine is very catastrophic. And having to experience motherhood in accordance with society's judgments and demands ends up being one of the triggers for the baby blues”, says Angrimani.
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Depression requires treatment
A baby blues, on the contrary, is a little more complex because it requires special care. The disease causes harm to women's health, who will need specialized, prolonged medical monitoring and, most likely, combining psychotherapy with the use of medication.
Cases of postpartum depression are more common in women who in their own personal history have already had a psychiatric disorder, such as anxiety, panic disorder, depression or anxiety, for example. Psychosocial risk factors can also interfere, such as not having planned the pregnancy; getting pregnant as a teenager; have an unstable relationship with the baby's father; having problems at work (or being unemployed); having problems in family relationships, among others.
Most cases of postpartum depression intensify after the sixth week of birth, although symptoms can appear as early as the first few days after birth and last for months. Symptoms include deep sadness, lack of interest in daily activities, insomnia, extreme tiredness, anxiety, loss of sexual interest, excessive weight loss or gain, feelings of incompetence, low self-esteem, social isolation and, in more serious cases, even ideation. suicidal.
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In addition to remaining for a long time (postpartum depression doesn't go away on its own like the baby blues), there is still another complicating factor, which is the lack of connection between the mother and the baby. “Many women with postpartum depression may be completely operational in relation to caring for their baby, but without emotional and affective connection. It’s as if she acted more mechanically with her obligations to the baby, but with much less bonding”, explained the psychologist.
Psychological prenatal
It is important to highlight that postpartum depression is a disease that can be prevented and treated, as long as there is adequate monitoring. The approach to pregnant women during prenatal care must include a good interview about their personal clinical history of mental disorders and that of their family members so that possible interventions can be carried out early.
“Many women feel this disconnect because motherhood is a huge change in life. It’s a huge milestone of change in a woman’s life – physically, mentally, emotionally. The life of before no longer exists. The moment the baby comes out of the womb changes everything. But it is possible to prevent and treat”, added the psychologist.
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(Source: Einstein Agency)
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